Skeleton jar closure



March 30, 1937. TALIAFERRO 2,075,478

SKELETON JAR CLOSURE Filed July 18, 1936 1 16 26 12 I Z1 Z8 Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKELETON JAR CLOSURE Application July 18, 1936, Serial No. 91,373

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in closures for containers and more particularly to improvements in a jar closing device.

An object of the invention is to provide a skeleton clamping device for securing the lid on a conventional Mason jar during the preserving process.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above type having a skeleton wire body portion to which is rigidly secured a convoluted wire thread which is adapted to follow the thread on the jar.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the lid and clamping device in closed position on a Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the skeleton clamping device in detail.

The present invention contemplates the use of a skeleton Wire clamping device which may be advantageously used in domestic preserving or canning. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide a conventional threaded cap for closing containers of the Mason jar type. In domestic canning with caps of this type, the caps are placed on the jars rather loosely during the actual processing of the contents, after which the caps are screwed down tightly. In the above manner, there has always been the difliculty of removing the cap from the jar due to the fact that some of the contents of the jar, particularly sticky syrup, brine or the like, overflows and hardens around the threads. According to the preesnt invention, a substantially flat metal lid is provided for closing the jar, and a skeleton clamping device having a wire thread is employed for holding the lid in position during the actual processing period. The clamping device may be turned to hold the lid in position during the cooling of the jar, after which the clamping device is removed, and the vacuum incident to the cooling of the contents will hold the lid securely on the jar. With a skeleton clamping device of this character, there is little or no possibility of the device becoming stuck to the jar because of any overflow during the processing period.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, a conventional Mason jar I0 is illustrated as being provided with a neck portion II having inclined threads I2 thereon. The lid I3 for closing the jar is preferably formed of metal in the form of a disc having an annular groove or channel I4 around the edge thereof and disposed directly over the edge of the neck portion II of the jar. A sealing composition I5 is placed within the annular groove I4 and forms a tight seal with the end of the neck portion I I of the jar.

A skeleton claming device I6, as shown in Fig. 3, is employed for securing the lid I3 on the jar during the processing period. The clamping device, as illustrated, includes a pair of wire members I'I, I8 which cross one another and are disposed at right angles to one another. The wire members I'I, I8 are provided with central offset portions Ila, Illa which are welded together, thus forming a skeleton body portion. The ends I'Ib, I8b of the crossed wire members II, I8 respectively are turned downwardly. A wire I9 is formed into a spiral with a pitch corresponding to the pitch of the threads I2 on the jar III. The ends I9a, I92) of the wire I9 thus overlie one another and are spaced apart. The wire I9 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the depending ends I11), I81) of the crossed wire members I'I, I8 respectively. Both ends I9a, I9b of the wire I9 are secured to the depending end III) of the wire II.

In employing the jar closure of the present invention in domestic canning or preserving, the skeleton clamping device is screwed down on the jar to loosely hold the lid in place during the actual steaming or processing period. After the jars are removed from the steaming device, the clamping device is turned to tightly hold the lid in place and the contents are allowed to cool. creates a vacuum within the jar and thus holds the lid in place. After the jars have been cooled, the clamping device may be removed so that it can be repeatedly used, thus eliminating the necessity of having an individual band for each jar. The skeleton band may of course be plated, as with chromium or the like, so that it will resist corrosion.

From the foregoing description, it is to be clearly understood that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure for jars comprising a lid, a gasket with which the lid is adapted to contact, and a clamping member for securing the lid on the jar including wire members extending across the lid The cooling 3 and having the ends thereof extending downwardly and a spirally wound wire secured to the downwardly extending ends of said wire members, said spirally wound wire being shaped to engage and follow threads on the jar whereby to hold the lid in place.

2. A closure for jars comprising a lid, a gasket with which the lid is adapted to contact, and a clamping device for securing the lid on the jar including a plurality of crossed wire members extending across the lid and having the ends thereof extending downwardly and a spirally wound wire secured to and inside of the downwardly extending ends of said wire members, said spirally wound wire being shaped to engage and follow threads on the jar whereby to hold the lid in place.

THOMAS L. TALIAFERRO. 

